The prior art in this field is very extensive. There is a wide variety of described and available devices and methods for taking measurements of an individual's body parts. Perhaps the simplest and oldest of these devices is the standard cloth or plastic measuring tape used by tailors and clothing salespeople. Typically made out of a soft, flexible material which can be rolled into a small bundle or worn around one's neck, these typical tape measures have broad appeal mainly due to their low cost.
Other types of devices are available. These include tape measures which are retractable into a small housing, optionally comprising a locking mechanism, tape measures which are self-supporting in the extended position, tape measures with clips, straps and snaps for improving the convenience of use for particular applications, etc. A wide range of electronic tape measures with features such as electric eyes, electric counters, digital displays, etc. are also available. Numerous devices in combination with levels, magnets, T-squares, marking devices, scales or balances, compasses, magnifying glasses, flashlights, wrenches, screwdrivers, clipboards, lights or other methods for illumination, notepads, hooks, keychains, etc. are also described. Several of these previously described devices are intended for specific purposes or for use in particular applications, including carpentry, plumbing, fishing, mechanical work, sewing as well as clothing sales.
In spite of the great number of devices available on the market there is still no device which will allow a potential purchaser of clothing or other accessories from catalogs or other product information brochures and the like to take the necessary measurements without first having to locate a tape measure. While it may be true that many clothing salespeople or tailors would keep these devices handy and ready for use. However, the typical consumer of mail-order products is not likely to have a tape measure readily available to him or her at the time the individual is making a decision to purchase a product, and the consumer would therefore first have to locate a tape measure first before proceeding with the purchase. Often mail order catalog companies accept orders over the telephone or via a facsimile machine and this makes it very easy to place the order. Initially, though, the customer must know his or her dimensions or he or she must make the measurements, and if the individual does not happen to have a tape measure handy, the potential customer might decide not to make the purchase.
Finally, several catalogs come with inserts containing ordering information, size charts, shipping details and costs, etc. Occasionally one will see a mail order catalog with a measuring device for a specific function. For example, the applicant is aware of past use in mail order catalogs of an insert consisting of a set of drawings of children's feet on a form correlating the markings with specific children's foot sizes. However, since most catalogs are made of sheets of paper less than 8.5 inches by 11 inches, it is not practical to have an insert for shoe sizes much larger than for youth.
Thus it is apparent that there is no device or system available to general consumers of mail order catalogs which will provide the consumer with a readily available tape measure. While it is true that the publishers or distributors of these catalogs could include in the catalog or brochure a separate measuring device, this would add bulk, weight and cost to the catalog, the cost eventually being passed on to the consumer. Furthermore, it is likely that a large number of recipients of these types of catalogs discard them immediately upon receipt or eventually decide not to make any purchase at all, thus resulting in a waste of money and additional burden upon our environment in terms of increased generation of waste matter and increased consumption of natural resources.
Thus it would be desirable to provide an economical, environmentally friendly and convenient alternative to conventional tape measuring devices for enclosure along with a mail order catalog or other product information brochures, thus making the purchase of products in this manner more likely.